Politicians order customized luxury cars ahead of general elections

Coimbatore, Mar.19: Luxury vehicles designers in Coimbatore were doing brisk business as politicians ordered customised campaign vehicles for the world’s largest democratic elections.

Top political leaders including Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi use these vans that have rest rooms, portable toilets, televisions, sensors with internet and all the state-of-the-art facilities inside them.

The makers of these luxury vehicles earn money only during election season.

“Basically the election this thing started from us some 20 years back. Election campaign vehicles we started doing slowly. We did two-three vehicles, and after seeing that we got orders and that’s how we are still doing this. And now the season has started; this is like a seasonal business. So when elections come, that time we get orders,” said election caravan designer, Riaz, on Wednesday.

Riaz said that his business reached out to the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

These luxuries are created in a small underground garage, which quintessentially is driving the entire election campaign of the south.

Depending on requirement, renovating the interiors of a vehicle – mainly a tempo traveller – costs around half a million rupees and takes a maximum of 20 days to be done. (ANI)